Validea Motley Fool Strategy Daily Upgrade Report - 2/8/2019

The following are today's upgrades for Validea's Small-Cap Growth Investor model based on the published strategy of Motley Fool . This strategy looks for small cap growth stocks with solid fundamentals and strong price performance.

HEALTHEQUITY INC ( HQY ) is a mid-cap growth stock in the Regional Banks industry. The rating according to our strategy based on Motley Fool changed from 65% to 72% based on the firm's underlying fundamentals and the stock's valuation. A score of 80% or above typically indicates that the strategy has some interest in the stock and a score above 90% typically indicates strong interest.

Company Description: HealthEquity, Inc. is a provider of a range of solutions for managing healthcare accounts (Health Savings Accounts (HSAs), Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRAs) and Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs)) for health plans, insurance companies and third-party administrators. The Company is engaged in technology-enabled services platforms that allow consumers to make healthcare saving and spending decisions. The Company's platform provides an ecosystem where consumers can access their tax-advantaged healthcare savings, compare treatment options and pricing, evaluate and pay healthcare bills, receive personalized benefit and clinical information, earn wellness incentives and make educated investment choices to help in their tax-advantaged healthcare savings.The Company's products and services include healthcare saving and spending platform, health savings accounts, investment platform and advisory services, reimbursement arrangements and HealthEquity retirement.

The following table summarizes whether the stock meets each of this strategy's tests. Not all criteria in the below table receive equal weighting or are independent, but the table provides a brief overview of the strong and weak points of the security in the context of the strategy's criteria.

PROFIT MARGIN:

PASS

RELATIVE STRENGTH:

PASS

COMPARE SALES AND EPS GROWTH TO THE SAME PERIOD LAST YEAR:

FAIL

INSIDER HOLDINGS:

FAIL

CASH FLOW FROM OPERATIONS:

PASS

PROFIT MARGIN CONSISTENCY:

PASS

R&D AS A PERCENTAGE OF SALES:

NEUTRAL

CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS:

PASS

INVENTORY TO SALES:

PASS

ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE TO SALES:

PASS

"THE FOOL RATIO" (P/E TO GROWTH):

FAIL

AVERAGE SHARES OUTSTANDING:

FAIL

SALES:

PASS

DAILY DOLLAR VOLUME:

FAIL

PRICE:

PASS

INCOME TAX PERCENTAGE:

FAIL

For a full detailed analysis using NASDAQ's Guru Analysis tool, click here

EURONET WORLDWIDE, INC. ( EEFT ) is a mid-cap growth stock in the Consumer Financial Services industry. The rating according to our strategy based on Motley Fool changed from 65% to 72% based on the firm's underlying fundamentals and the stock's valuation. A score of 80% or above typically indicates that the strategy has some interest in the stock and a score above 90% typically indicates strong interest.

The following table summarizes whether the stock meets each of this strategy's tests. Not all criteria in the below table receive equal weighting or are independent, but the table provides a brief overview of the strong and weak points of the security in the context of the strategy's criteria.

PROFIT MARGIN:

PASS

RELATIVE STRENGTH:

PASS

COMPARE SALES AND EPS GROWTH TO THE SAME PERIOD LAST YEAR:

FAIL

INSIDER HOLDINGS:

FAIL

CASH FLOW FROM OPERATIONS:

PASS

PROFIT MARGIN CONSISTENCY:

PASS

R&D AS A PERCENTAGE OF SALES:

NEUTRAL

CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS:

PASS

INVENTORY TO SALES:

PASS

ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE TO SALES:

PASS

"THE FOOL RATIO" (P/E TO GROWTH):

FAIL

AVERAGE SHARES OUTSTANDING:

PASS

SALES:

FAIL

DAILY DOLLAR VOLUME:

FAIL

PRICE:

PASS

INCOME TAX PERCENTAGE:

PASS

For a full detailed analysis using NASDAQ's Guru Analysis tool, click here

ERIE INDEMNITY COMPANY ( ERIE ) is a mid-cap growth stock in the Insurance (Prop. & Casualty) industry. The rating according to our strategy based on Motley Fool changed from 69% to 76% based on the firm's underlying fundamentals and the stock's valuation. A score of 80% or above typically indicates that the strategy has some interest in the stock and a score above 90% typically indicates strong interest.

Company Description: Erie Indemnity Company is a management company. The Company serves as the attorney-in-fact for the subscribers (policyholders) at the Erie Insurance Exchange (Exchange). The Exchange is a reciprocal insurer that writes property and casualty insurance. The Company's function is to perform certain services for the Exchange relating to the sales, underwriting and issuance of policies on behalf of the Exchange. The sales related services the Company provides include agent compensation, and certain sales and advertising support services. Agent compensation includes scheduled commissions to agents based upon premiums written, as well as additional commissions and bonuses to agents. The underwriting services the Company provides include underwriting and policy processing expenses. It provides information technology services that supports various functions. The remaining services the Company provides include customer service and administrative costs.

The following table summarizes whether the stock meets each of this strategy's tests. Not all criteria in the below table receive equal weighting or are independent, but the table provides a brief overview of the strong and weak points of the security in the context of the strategy's criteria.

PROFIT MARGIN:

PASS

RELATIVE STRENGTH:

PASS

COMPARE SALES AND EPS GROWTH TO THE SAME PERIOD LAST YEAR:

PASS

INSIDER HOLDINGS:

PASS

CASH FLOW FROM OPERATIONS:

PASS

PROFIT MARGIN CONSISTENCY:

FAIL

R&D AS A PERCENTAGE OF SALES:

NEUTRAL

CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS:

FAIL

ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE TO SALES:

PASS

"THE FOOL RATIO" (P/E TO GROWTH):

FAIL

AVERAGE SHARES OUTSTANDING:

PASS

SALES:

FAIL

DAILY DOLLAR VOLUME:

PASS

PRICE:

PASS

INCOME TAX PERCENTAGE:

PASS

For a full detailed analysis using NASDAQ's Guru Analysis tool, click here

NATURAL HEALTH TRENDS CORP. ( NHTC ) is a small-cap value stock in the Biotechnology & Drugs industry. The rating according to our strategy based on Motley Fool changed from 63% to 76% based on the firm's underlying fundamentals and the stock's valuation. A score of 80% or above typically indicates that the strategy has some interest in the stock and a score above 90% typically indicates strong interest.

Company Description: Natural Health Trends Corp. is a direct-selling and e-commerce company. The Company, through its subsidiaries, sells personal care, wellness, and quality of life products under the NHT Global brand. The Company's subsidiaries have presence in various markets, such as North America; Greater China, which consists of Hong Kong, Taiwan and China; South Korea; Singapore; Malaysia; Japan; and Europe. It also operates in Russia and Kazakhstan through its engagement with a local service provider. As of December 31, 2016, the Company offered a line of NHT Global branded products in five categories: wellness, herbal, beauty, lifestyle, and home, its newest category. Its wellness products include Premium Noni Juice, Triotein, Cluster X2, Children's Chewable MultiVitamin, ReStor Silver, ReStor Vital, HerBalance, Trifusion Max, Glucosamine 2200, FibeRich, Energin, Enhanced Essential Probiotics, Omega 3 Essential Fatty Acids, Memory Burst, StemRenu, OcuFocus, and FE Enzyme Toothpaste.

The following table summarizes whether the stock meets each of this strategy's tests. Not all criteria in the below table receive equal weighting or are independent, but the table provides a brief overview of the strong and weak points of the security in the context of the strategy's criteria.

PROFIT MARGIN:

PASS

RELATIVE STRENGTH:

FAIL

COMPARE SALES AND EPS GROWTH TO THE SAME PERIOD LAST YEAR:

FAIL

INSIDER HOLDINGS:

PASS

CASH FLOW FROM OPERATIONS:

PASS

PROFIT MARGIN CONSISTENCY:

FAIL

R&D AS A PERCENTAGE OF SALES:

PASS

CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS:

PASS

INVENTORY TO SALES:

PASS

LONG TERM DEBT/EQUITY RATIO:

PASS

"THE FOOL RATIO" (P/E TO GROWTH):

PASS

AVERAGE SHARES OUTSTANDING:

PASS

SALES:

PASS

DAILY DOLLAR VOLUME:

PASS

PRICE:

PASS

INCOME TAX PERCENTAGE:

FAIL

For a full detailed analysis using NASDAQ's Guru Analysis tool, click here

Since its inception, Validea's strategy based on Motley Fool has returned 515.20% vs. 172.21% for the S&P 500. For more details on this strategy, click here

About Motley Fool : Brothers David and Tom Gardner often wear funny hats in public appearances, but they're hardly fools -- at least not the kind whose advice you should readily dismiss. The Gardners are the founders of the popular Motley Fool web site, which offers frank and often irreverent commentary on investing, the stock market, and personal finance. The Gardners' "Fool" really is a multi-media endeavor, offering not only its web content but also several books written by the brothers, a weekly syndicated newspaper column, and subscription newsletter services.

About Validea : Validea is an investment research service that follows the published strategies of investment legends. Validea offers both stock analysis and model portfolios based on gurus who have outperformed the market over the long-term, including Warren Buffett, Benjamin Graham, Peter Lynch and Martin Zweig. For more information about Validea, click here

The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of NASDAQ, Inc.